December 2010

December 03, 2010

For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. ~2 Corinthians 2:15

Ah, the aromas of Christmas...gingerbread, fresh coffee, pine boughs, cinnamon pine cones, cloved ham, mulled cider, candy canes, PIE...mmmm. For me, smells are memory joggers. Familiar smells bring back the feelings of whole episodes of my life. And smells are important to God too. The Bible often speaks of the smells of burning meat or of incense going up to God as a sacrifice. And that's what Paul is saying to the Corinthians. We need to let our lives be a fragrant sacrifice to God. And that aroma of Godliness and the Good News will either attract some to us, or repel some from us. Jesus came on Christmas day to make his entire life a sacrifice for God on our behalf. His sacrifice didn't start on Good Friday, it began in consenting to come down to earth to dwell among us...Emmanuel, God with us.

Sacrifice is good for us, it keeps us humble, it make us compassionate, it sets our hearts and minds on Jesus and his work. Times are tough. The world seems cold and cruel to many people in the world and in our neighborhoods. If you know the warmth of Christ and the hope of Christmas, then I urge you to make some sacrifices this year: A little more time with the family, with shut-ins, with neighbors; a little more money in the donation buckets, a few more canned goods to the food banks, a few more bags of clothes to the needy, a few more coats or toys in the donation boxes. We can have gifts under the tree spilling out into the room, but these things will rust or break eventually. Our good works will earn us treasure in Heaven that will last forever. If you have a heart to give, Compassion International is one of my favorite charities. Here is a link to their Christmas Gifts page: http://gifts.compassion.com/?utm_source=compassion&utm_medium=homepage%2Bare

God bless you and your family and friends as you prepare your homes and hearts for Christmas this year!